As want it

Question

HiThis sentence is from Practical English Usage (M. Swan).We have got food for as many people as want it.Could you please explain the red part to me? What is missing?Thanks,Tom

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Mr. TomCould you please explain the red part to me? What is missing?

Nothing is missing. That's just one of the funny little things about English. You know what it means, and it is idiomatic and grammatical. Learn what you can from it. We all had to.

CalifJim · Answer

Mr. TomCould you please explain the red part to me?

It's one of the many variants of the comparative construction, specifically,

as many/much {noun} as the number/amount (of {noun}) who/that {predicate}

We have got food for as many people as want it.
(for as many people as the number of people who want it.)

More examples:

About 400,000 people work there, roughly as many people as live in Oakland, California.
(as many people as the number of people who live in Oakland ...)

Add as many chocolate chips as can fit in a single layer without crowding.
(as many chocolate chips as the number of chocolate chips that can fit ...)

This device measures as much energy as flows through this wire.
(as much energy as the amount of energy that flows through ...)

These can be reduced to the following:

We have got food for the number of people who want it.
About 400,000 people work there, roughly the number of people who live in Oakland, California.
Add the number of chocolate chips that can fit in a single layer without crowding.
This device measures the amount of energy that flows through this wire.

CJ

As want it

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